1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to power take-offs for four wheel drive vehicles and particularly to power take-offs for light four wheel drive vehicles with automatic transmissions and chain driven transfer cases.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Several gear driven power take-offs are currently marketed for side mounting on gear driven transfer cases. Gear driven power take-offs are also available for use with manual transmission on medium of heavy trucks. There are, however, no power take-offs currently available for use on light four wheel drive trucks and utility vehicles with automatic transmissions and chain driven transfer cases. These vehicles conventionally utilize an adapter which is located between the transmission and the transfer case and to which both the transmission and the transfer case are bolted. The adapter, which is bolted to the vehicle frame, serves to support and align the transmission and transfer case. The output shaft from the transmission passes through the center of the adapter with an involute spline on the transmission shaft engaging a mating spline on the transfer case hub.
It is an object of the present invention to replace the adapter with the housing for a power take-off which has the same bolt pattern, provides the same alignment and support, and has the same axial width as the adapter it replaces, so that no vehicle modification is required for addition of the power take-off other than the installation of a shift wire from the power take-off to a control knob in the cab.